Bloodstain Pattern Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real CFC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Bloodstain Pattern Analysis flashcards as text
When reconstructing a bloodstain scene, a 'void' pattern is significant because it suggests:
Answer: An object or person was present and blocked blood deposition
A void pattern is a bloodstain-free area within otherwise consistent spatter, indicating that an object or person shielded that surface from blood at the time of the event.
What effect does surface texture have on bloodstain morphology?
Answer: Rough surfaces produce more irregular edges and satellite spatter
Rough or porous surfaces cause blood droplets to produce more irregular, scalloped edges with additional satellite spatter due to increased surface energy and disruption of the droplet.
A 'wipe' pattern differs from a 'swipe' pattern in that a wipe:
Answer: Results from a clean object moving through existing wet blood
A wipe pattern is produced when a clean object moves through existing wet blood, while a swipe is produced when a bloody object contacts a clean surface.
In court testimony, a BPA expert using the term 'consistent with' rather than 'caused by' is:
Answer: Appropriately reflecting the probabilistic nature of physical evidence interpretation
Physical evidence interpretation is inherently probabilistic; 'consistent with' accurately conveys that the evidence supports a hypothesis without overstating certainty.
Which bloodstain pattern would most strongly suggest a body was moved after blood had begun to pool?
Answer: Drag pattern with smearing and trail
A drag pattern with smearing and blood trail indicates a body or object was moved through pooled blood, redistributing it in the direction of movement.
The 'string method' in BPA is used to determine:
Answer: The area of origin in three-dimensional space
The string method uses physical strings along calculated trajectory angles from multiple stains to converge at the three-dimensional area of origin.
High-velocity impact spatter (HVIS), historically associated with gunshot wounds, is characterized by:
Answer: Misting with very fine droplets often less than 1 mm
HVIS produces a mist of very fine droplets (often under 1 mm), though modern BPA methodology cautions against using velocity categories to determine mechanism without corroborating evidence.